Despite XRP’s ongoing consolidation, following a drop of around 9% from its recent highs of $2.90, whales appear to be seizing the opportunity presented by the dip.

On Friday, popular crypto analyst Ali Martinez highlighted this development, tweeting that, “Whales bought roughly 1 billion XRP in the last 48 hours.”

Notably, this purchase, valued at approximately $2.3 billion, represents the largest accumulation of XRP in nearly three years. The previous significant buy occurred on December 16, 2024, when Whales acquired over 830 million XRP within 24 hours. The other recent acquisition on January 2 saw whales amass an additional 360 million XRP in a mere 48 hours, further fueling speculation that a major price surge may be imminent.

On-chain data also reveals a significant increase in XRP accumulation over the past two months, with wallets holding over 100 XRP spiking to 1.7 million after remaining flat for a year.

The ongoing legal battle between Ripple Labs and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is a key factor influencing whale activity. The SEC’s lawsuit, initiated in December 2020, alleges that XRP is an unregistered security. However, recent developments have sparked optimism, especially with the potential appointment of Paul Atkins, a pro-crypto advocate, as the new SEC Chair. Experts believe that a favorable ruling or settlement could significantly boost XRP’s market position, driving both retail and institutional interest.

Beyond legal factors, XRP’s technological capabilities are also attracting whale investors. The recent launch of the RLUSD (Ripple Liquidity US Dollar), a stablecoin powered by the XRP Ledger, has added a new layer of utility to the ecosystem. The RLUSD offers an efficient and scalable solution for cross-border payments, leveraging XRP’s fast transaction speeds and low fees.

In addition to the RLUSD launch, the continued growth of the XRP Ledger, along with its expanding partnerships and technological advancements, is further boosting its utility and attracting significant interest from large investors. Over the past year, the XRP Ledger’s decentralized exchange (DEX) volume and Total Value Locked (TVL) have grown exponentially, with TVL approaching $69.5 million.

Additionally, the heightened interest from whales can also be attributed to XRP’s impressive market performance. Since the November 2024 election, XRP has surged by over 400%, significantly outpacing major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Many investors believe that as the regulatory landscape continues to improve and technological advancements take shape, further price appreciation for XRP is not only possible but likely.

Meanwhile, technical indicators show a bullish trend, with the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) above the signal line, suggesting upward momentum. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 55.7 indicates neutral momentum, leaving room for further gains. With the 20-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) positioned above the 50-day EMA, the outlook for XRP remains positive.

At press time, XRP was trading at $2.54, reflecting a 2.3% increase in the past 24 hours.